As reported by Censor.NET, this was announced by Sushchenko's lawyer Mark Feygin on his Facebook page.

"I've just visited Roman Sushchenko in 'Lefortovo' [Moscow prison - ed.]. In general, we hope the Kremlin will agree to exchange Sushchenko for Viktor Pavlenko, who was apprehended in Rivne on Oct. 8, 2016 by the Security Service of Ukraine," he wrote.

As previously reported, members of Moscow's Public Monitoring Commission found Ukrinform news agency correspondent Roman Sushchenko in Lefortovo prison Oct. 2. The Lefortovo court of Moscow remanded the journalist in a two-month custody on charges of espionage (article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) the following day. Ukraine's Information Policy Ministry also confirmed the detention of Sushchenko. The ministry said its legal department was collecting necessary information on the circumstances and reasons for the detention.

In turn, the FSB claims Ukrainian journalist Sushchenko is an agent of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's MoD.

On Oct. 8, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) officers apprehended an agent of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces in Rivne. A spy turned out a Ukrainian citizen currently residing Russia. His task was to recruit a senior staff officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

All materials published on this website that cite Interfax-Ukraine news agency as a source should not be further copied and/or redistributed in any other form without written consent by Interfax-Ukraine news agency.